Sunlight streamed through the window when Sae woke Saturday morning. She frowned. Her days as both a prosecutor and an attorney had started long before the official time of nine a.m., but she was getting in the habit of sleeping later and better lately. The only sounds were the distant chirping of birds and Akira's even breathing. Sae propped herself on one elbow to watch him. He still looked terribly young, but also handsome. His face was smooth and unlined, and there was a color in his cheeks that she hadn't seen while they were planning the Okaba heist. She traced his shoulders and chest with one finger tip. The morning light softened his scars and, for the moment, she could simply enjoy the softness of his skin and the dormant strength of his muscles.

He stirred, and his eyes blinked open. For the briefest of moments, surprise flitted across his face, followed by a slow smile. "Morning."

Something twisted in Sae's chest. He always seemed so shocked and delighted to find her in bed every morning. As if she hadn't promised to stay. As if he wasn't dashing and charming and kind and wouldn't have women lining up around the block if he so much as snapped his fingers. As if he thought he was lucky to have her. "Good morning." She kissed him. I wish I could keep you with me until one day you started expecting me here. I like being here. "Everything quiet?"

"Yours is the only voice I'm hearing right now. Same for you?"

"Yes." She brushed his hair from his eyes. So this was what it was like, she thought. To have someone and not be going crazy at the same time. She had almost forgotten the feeling. Contentment. "I hardly know what to do with myself. What do Phantom Thieves do with themselves after heists?"

"Well, I still owe you a real celebration. And it's going to be our last full day in Port Island." A shadow passed across his face. "If these journals are everything they're supposed to be, do we still have to go to Inaba. Or is this it?" Is this over? hung as heavy in the air as if he had spoken it.

"I don't know." Another knife to her heart. They could bring down a yakuza boss and literally conquer their demons, but the clock ticked on on the same. It seemed horribly, bitterly unfair. "If I think it's enough evidence to push for Sato's release, I'll head back to Tokyo and file a motion immediately." He would be reunited with the remnants of his family and she would add another act of justice on the scale against all the corruption and cruelty she had allowed. And back to a spacious apartment with a good view and a lonely bed. What had she gotten herself into, wanting more than she could have? "But that's not today. You do still owe me that celebration, and I always collect my debts."

He forced a smile. "You have something in mind?"

"Not as such. Someplace terribly expensive, though. I did not buy that dress only to wear it once." It would be fun to see the glint in his eyes and know that she was the cause. She would take him somewhere she could show him off a little, instead of lying that she was only a lonely woman who had found a toy. See him blush under a torrent of compliments instead of hissing at an act.

"I can deal with that." He kissed her again, light and quick. Sae gasped, and in a few moments he had rolled her over and was peppering her with kisses that made the future seem unreal. "Because. You. Have. Great. Ideas."

"Do I?" she breathed.

"The—"

Her phone rang on the nightstand, and they both swore. "It's Makoto."

"Sis?" She sounded out of breath and a little panicked." Are you okay?"

Aside from you having the worst timing in the world? "I'm fine. I just woke up."

"Oh. Have you heard the news? The police have uncovered some kind of human trafficking ring in Port Island. The phones have been ringing off the hook here demanding that we 'do something.' And the guy responsible—Shuji Okaba?—he killed himself."

Sae closed her eyes. A better woman would have managed some pity for him or at least outrage that he had escaped the law permanently. She can only be grateful. Never again would that man prey upon the desperate. And neither she nor Makoto would have to worry about that contract. Unorthodox justice, justice all the same. "I see."

"I did some digging. He was the case you were working before Dad died. And he just happens to be exposed while you two are here. That wasn't a coincidence, was it?"

Sae froze. She had prepared eventualities and cover stories for almost everything except Makoto finding out what she had done. She looked over at Akira, but he had the same deer in the headlights expression that she must have had.

"What did you do?"

No point in lying now. She sighed. "During my investigation here, a third party wanted evidence of Okaba's operations in exchange for information about Personas. Akira and I acquired that evidence. We're both perfectly safe. You don't have to worry about anything."

But Makoto didn't seem to hear her. "Did Akira put you up to this? Go wake him up so I can kill him!"

"I'm going to go get dressed," he whispered. "As soon as she's finished yelling at you it'll be my turn, and I'd like to die with some dignity." The bed shifted as he scurried towards his own room and left her to face the music alone. Bastard.

"We really are safe," Sae repeated. "And I asked to be included. We infiltrated his casino, Akira lost a lot of money that Futaba stole back for us, and I wore a wire and got him to admit to his loansharking on tape. We even rigged a roulette game to prevent another girl from going into debt."

"Casino? Roulette? Are you crazy?" Makoto's voice rose higher and higher with every word. "And you wore a wire? Don't you remember what happened to me when I confronted Kan—oh God." When she spoke again, it was with the small voice that always managed to make Sae feel even smaller. "Just because I charged off to confront a crime lord doesn't mean you have to."

"It was nice to do some real undercover work. And fight for justice. To not feel so useless."

"Oh, Sis." Sae could almost see the tears in Makoto's eyes. "I forgive you. I love you. I don't want you risking your neck because you think you have something to prove."

No, I do. I will always owe you for what I did. "As opposed to because it had to be done?" In more ways than one, but Makoto didn't need to know about the return of the thing that had almost killed her. Leviathan would never threaten her again. "I might be able to come home soon. We're picking up the proof tomorrow."

"And then you are going to do something fun and not life-threatening if I have to frog-march you to the baths or bar myself." She paused to steady her voice. "I just want to see you happy. Port Island's pretty big, lots of nightlife. You could find a date or something."

As if on cue, Akira reappeared in the doorway wearing his usual polo shirt and slacks, but otherwise looking wonderfully rumpled. Sae colored. What would her little sister say if she knew Sae had already found more than a date? A smile played at her lips. Maybe it was time to remind her little sister not to meddle and begin to pay Akira back for some of the things he'd been forced to overhear. "Be careful what you wish for. I have been sampling the nightlife. And I did find a date."

"You—I—I was kidding! What's he like?"

Sae looked at Akira's half-opened mouth and wide eyes. "He's...an actor. Terribly handsome, naturally Could charm you out of your last yen and make you smile about it. But smart, too, and kind. He helped me prepare for a lot of the undercover work." She thought of the ping-pong game. "Athletic, fiercely competitive."

"Sounds pretty special."

"He is," Sae said gently and watched as Akira blushed, with a half-smile that held none of his earlier cockiness. "I really like him." This is the truth. This is what I want you to remember when you think back on this.

"Any chance you could drag him back to Tokyo so I can meet him? I want to see this guy who met your standards."

Oh, that had backfired spectacularly. And she had never been good at thinking fast when Makoto was involved. "I—Port Island is very far away. He has his own life. And I don't think he would like mine so much when I have to trade linen sheets and room service for getting up before dawn and fast food." Akira's expression was unreadable.

"You never know. Maybe someday."

"Maybe." Please, let's talk about something else. Anything else. "How are things on your end? You said that you were getting a lot of calls about the Okaba case?"

"Um, yeah. Ms. Takagi thinks this could be a chance to pass some anti-trafficking legislation with real teeth. We might even be about to sign on to the TIP Protocol." There was electricity in Makoto's voice as she discussed her legislative hopes, and Sae again marveled at how some things at least had turned out so spectacularly right.

Akira was still watching her with that blank look when she hung up. It would have been easier if he were outraged or sad or amused. At least then she would have known how to begin. For the first time since she had asked him to kiss her, Akira made Sae feel vulnerable. "My romantic gestures always blow up in my face," she tried.

He closed the distance between them and sat on the edge of the bed. This close, she could tell his expression wasn't blank. It was resigned. "It was what we agreed." His voice was flat.

"I thought you would be more upset." And maybe there was a part of her that wanted him to be. He was the writer who found a way for a thief and an for us to be together. He showered her with such romantic, ridiculous praise. He should have been seizing her hand and declaring that love would conquer all. "More pushy."

"Do you want me to be?" There was something like hope in his voice, carefully guarded but there all the same.

There it was, the billion-yen question. What did she want, now that they had not so much moved beyond friends with benefits as sailed beyond it in a rocketship? She closed her eyes again. The image was sharp and clear. She had had to bring work home with her again, a pile of papers in her lap and a pen in her hand as she revised the draft of her opening statement. Akira sat at the table, laptop open and firing away at his own revisions. He caught her gaze. "I want to have everything," she said and hated her voice for wavering. "No one else ever made me feel like this, and I don't mean the sex. But I love being a lawyer, and so much of that is deals over dinner. Reputation."

"And a wet-behind-the-ears freelancer who you once threatened with the death penalty is sort of the definition of a reputation killer." His voice was soft. "Giving up everything for a guy ends with throwing furniture, a half dozen affairs and blaming each other when the kid gets put on probation. Believe me, I get it."

Damn it, why did this have to be the one thing he was so practical about? "We're a thief and a lawyer. Breaking rules is what we do. We should be able to figure something out!"

He blinked. "You mean, if there was a way to bring the crap we'd get in Tokyo down to a manageable level, you would want to keep dating? Normal dating? Not 'a Shadow and who knows what else are trying to drive us crazy' dating?" A tremor worked it's way through him. "You would want me to...to stay?.

Her fist clenched. Sae didn't know if it was Shido, Kamoshida, or his parents that made Akira doubt, but she wanted to strangle them. "I'm afraid I'm a little out of practice when it comes to normal, but yes." She swallowed and stroked the line of his cheek and felt the barest hint of stubble under her fingers. "I meant what I told Makoto."

He caught her fingers in his and pressed a kiss to her palm. He was shaking. "So I have anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks to do I don't even know what yet and then we get to go out for coffee like normal people?"

When he put it that way, it did sound ridiculous. Sae shrank back. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" There was fire in his eyes and his movements were fluid as he stood. No, she hadn't forgotten who she was talking to. She had forgotten how much the demon had weighed him down. Akira unbound was pure lightning that could take your breath away. "I'd love a challenge." He laughed and offered her his hand. "Come on. We'll never figure out something just lying here."

They entered the common room fifteen minutes later to face Morgana's glare. "Sorry we're late," Akira said, sounding not sorry at all. "You were right, about everything. I owe you some tamagoyaki." He put an arm around Sae. "Were going to have to figure out a way for you guys to communicate. Maybe charades?" And almost despite herself, Sae dared to believe this could work.

That was when she noticed the engraved invitation sitting on a small silver tray on a corner of the table. It was addressed to both of them. Akira shrugged and Sae picked it up. "You are cordially invited to a benefit at Kirijo Tower. All proceeds will benefit those rescued from Shuji Okaba. July 19, 10:30 PM. Black tie recommended." She put the paper down. "What the hell?"

"That's tonight. Mitsuru works fast." He frowned. "Do you think it could be a trap? She seems more like the type to sue you into oblivion than knife you in an alley, but who knows?"

"And don't forget what she just did to Okaba. But there are easier ways to kill us. My guess is that she wants to make a last-ditch effort to convince us to keep our mouths shut." Her fingers tightened on the paper. "It's not an invitation to be turned down. The Kirijo name doesn't carry the weight it used to, but saying no to one of the parties still draws unwanted attention. Especially when it's for charity. She has a free pass to try to talk us down until our ears bleed."

"Then she's about to find out that she's underestimated us. We toppled a tyrant. A benefit should be no problem."

"Don't underestimate her. Words can draw blood just as easily in this world." But at least she had weapons in this world. She was through being steamrolled. Especially now that she had something personal to fight for too. She drew Akira close. "I wanted to take you somewhere nice tonight. Looks like the destination has been chosen for us."

Outside, a black butterfly sailed lazily past.

If this gala was merely an excuse to convince them to give up, Mitsuru had spared no expense in hiding that. The meeting room on the twelfth floor had been transformed into a ballroom with soft, ambient light and a string quartet playing in the corner. Hundreds had arrived to condemn the horror Okaba had unleashed, all dressed in their best and with just the right amount of rage and sympathy in their eyes.

"Deep breaths," she reminded Akira. His smile had never wavered as they mingled, but he held his champagne glass too tightly, and his gaze darted around the room whenever he thought someone wasn't looking, as if he were searching for potential assassins. Which, despite what Sae had said about there being easier ways to kill them, probably wasn't that bad of an idea.

"Right." He inhaled. "Normally when I go to these things, my job is to stand around and look intimidating in case guys get any ideas about Haru or Makoto. I will never understand people who consider this fun."

"It's not so much fun as part of the job. Being a prosecutor or an attorney is half what you do in the office or the court room. The other half is here." Quietly working out an agreement to charge a suspect with manslaughter instead of murder when plea bargains didn't officially exist. Knowing that the deputy director of the arson division liked merlot so he would let you see a report the police had officially lost. "Always makes me feel like a bear riding a unicycle."

"But it's part of your world and you learned to survive." He took another deep breath and relaxed his grip. "And if this is going to work, it'll be part of my world too. Let's go mingle some more."

Sae trailed behind him, dumbstruck.

Mitsuru swept towards them in a red dress that looked like a cost more than Sae made in a year. Her smile was polite as she clutched the arm of a silver-haired man who looked even more uncomfortable than Akira. "Mr. Kurusu, Ms. Niijima, thank you for coming tonight. Junpei told me that this is a cause very dear to you."

So she knew exactly how Junpei had gotten the information. "Okaba was a thorn in my side when I first joined the prosecutor's office. I'm thrilled someone brought him to justice."

"We all are." Real fury burned in her eyes as her voice dropped to a whisper. "Thank you for exposing that bastard. I only wish I could have executed him myself." Then back to the smooth tone. "Would you two mind joining Akihiko and myself on the balcony? We need to talk and one of my other guests is asking to meet you."

Sae and Akira looked at each other. Akira smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Did you hear that? We have a fan." But as they marched to the terrace, Sae noticed him drain the rest of his glass.

The balcony was the size of her living room. The full moon bathed the stone and metal in a silvery light that would have been romantic under other circumstances. A half-dozen couples talked in low voices. Mitsuru led them to one couple at the far corner of the railing, well away from anyone else. Sae recognized both of them. One was Professor King, wearing a suit slightly too large for him and blinking in disbelief at the wealth and beauty surrounding him.

The second...Oh, you are clever Mitsuru. "Kinoka."

The woman before was shorter than Sae, with delicate features that suggested grace and elegance. She wore a silvery gown that seemed to glow of its own accord, as if it were trapping the light. She smiled an easy smile. Some people would have called it stupid, but Sae knew better. Ai Kinoka had been baiting people into underestimating her since law school. "Niijima? Ms. Kirijo told me that you were in Port Island. What are you doing all the way out here? Don't you have a case to prepare?"

"I could say the same thing about you." Sae looked around at Professor King and Akira's confused stares. "Forgive my manners. Akira, this is Ai Kinoka. We went to law school together and joined the prosecutor's office. She's handling the Sato case, which is the important part tonight, I expect. Kinoka, this is Akira Kurusu."

They bowerd to each other. "So you're the infamous Akira Kurusu." Kinoka's eyes gleamed like amber. "You're even more handsome than in your photographs."

Akira turned red. "I...thank you."

Sae ground her teeth. "He's not a judge or an investigator. You don't need to flirt with him to throw him off guard."

"I like to keep in practice. And it's not every day that you meet the infamous Phantom Thief of Hearts. I suppose I should thank you. Between half of Special Investigations being implicated in Shido's conspiracy and Niijima leaving, you created a number of vacancies. A young prosecutor can rise very high very quickly. All she needs is one spectacular case to seal the deal."

"But does it have to be this case?" Mitsuru asked. "Everything I've read suggests Mr. Sato was truly distraught when he was arrested. No history of violence. Isn't it possible that he was mentally ill at the time?"

"If I thought that, I wouldn't be seeking the death penalty. Our psychiatrists examined him. His behavior isn't consistent with any diagnosable disorder." Her lips curved upward. "Don't tell me you invited me here to negotiate a deal?"

Sae shrugged. "This is your plan, then, Kirijo? Get the charges against Sato dropped?"

"Her plan and not yours? Interesting. What interest do the Kirijos have in an ordinary murder case?"

Professor King cleared his throat. "Unless it isn't so ordinary? Your company has come up a lot in my research. And Mr. Sato does seem quite similar to those who suffered a—what's the phrase?—mental breakdown. And there are rumors that those weren't quite natural. Stolen and corrupted hearts, or something like that."

"Of course it's an ordinary case," Mitsuru said a little too quickly. "But there are security issues in play that would make it best that this situation be wrapped up quickly and quietly."

Kinoka's eyes narrowed. "What sort of security issues?"

"I'm not at liberty to disclose them."

"Of course you aren't." She laughed, high and tinkling. "And since I've heard nothing from my superiors beyond them wanting a child murderer's head on a pike, you'll excuse me if I proceed to give him his just desserts." Her gaze flickered. "Can I speak with you in private, Niijima? It's been ages since we caught up."

She wants something. Akira realized it too because he tensed as if he were ready to pounce. "I'll be okay," she murmured. "It will be a pleasure, Kinoka."

Kinoka's gaze flickered between them but she led Sae away without a word until they were in a relatively quiet part of the balcony. She stood perfectly straight and her voice was no longer light or smooth. "Have I mentioned how much I absolutely hate it when rich people think they get to decide what's just and what isn't? No offense, but your client is a monster."

"Someone who would murder there wife and child is indeed a monster."

"Nicely noncommittal. You don't think he's responsible for his actions? Believe it or not, I did consider the mental shutdown angle, without all the mystical mumbo-jumbo, of course."

"I'm not going to discuss my strategy until we're back in Tokyo." Neither Kinoka or anyone else would believe her until she got her hands on the proof tomorrow. She hadn't believed it herself until those thousands of small details had added up. "But no, I didn't leave Special Investigations to defend people I thought were monsters."

"And you just happened to come to Port Island with the man at the center of the Phantom Thief case? You think that your client has been the victim of another Akechi and you're looking to prove it. Do I have that about right? Just nod your head so you can't be accused of breaking privilege."

Sae swore under her breath. Even after all these years, she could forget that Kinoka was only pretending to be a flirty idiot. "That isn't quite true."

"But it's close enough." She leaned over the railing. "It's going to be a circus when this case finally goes to trial. And there's nothing more than I love than a good media circus."

"Because you always look so good in front of the camera."

"You know, if you had learned to smile and nod at the right people, you could have been running Special Investigations by now. You're almost as smart as I am. Almost. You know that the rumor is that the position is going to be open again next year. Things being how they are, the new director could be anyone."

"You, if you win this case. The woman who brought a horrific criminal to justice would be the perfect person to take on corruption." Sae clenched her fist. The Palace had only made literal what had always been true in the prosecutor's office: the cases were a game, winners and losers were rewarded, and guilt or innocence had only a tangential relationship with success.

"And why not me? Quite frankly, I think I deserve it, if only for putting up with a decade of Hata grabbing my ass."She scowled. "You know, I'm glad it's you. The media is going to be all over us like flies on honey. For a brief, shining moment, the two most famous attorneys in Japan will be women. Of course, to the victor will go the spoils, but still it will be good for girls to see that. Might have a few more of them in the office in a few years. And a female Director will be even better."

"Don't start planning the future of Japanese feminism until you actually win."

Kinoka laughed. "I'm going to. There's no Akechi this time, Niijima. You got played. The knife was in his hand. You would be the greatest defense attorney alive if you pull off an acquittal now. And we both know which of us was first in class in Criminal Procedure. Tell Kirijo that unless she can give me an actual reason for me to throw away my shot, there's no deal."

"Trust me, this was all her doing. Very soon, Akira and I will complete our investigation." And a small, petty part of her could acknowledge that it would be nice to knock that smug grin off Kinoka's face."

"'Akira?'" Kinoka's eyebrows went up. "I was told he was friends with your sister, but I had no idea that the two of you were that close."

Crap. For one horrible second, Sae's brain went completely blank. She wanted Akira, wanted to parade him publicly in Tokyo, wanted to tell the world she was a happily attached lawyer, but not like this. Not with Kinoka's eyes widening and her mouth forming an 'o.' "I—"

"I don't believe this," Kinoka whispered. "The way you looked at him when you left, it was just the same as that guy from second-year Contracts." Her laughter was nervous and a little unhinged. "And the Phantom Thief case was the one that made you leave. Please, tell me you weren't sleeping with the suspect. We don't need another scandal."

"You know me better than that, Kinoka" There. That was how things were going to be from now on: baseless speculation from people who should've known better. What had she been thinking? "I never slept with anyone I was investigating. Especially not a minor."

"And Kurusu hasn't been a minor for years. Well, a-year-and-a-half. Don't worry, I'll keep my mouth shut. I don't want anything tarnishing my victory." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Is that why you took such a longshot case? Make a name for yourself so nobody would dare say a word?"

"What?"

"Oh, come on. You'd be the defense attorney who pulled off a miracle. You could do anything short of getting disbarred and it wouldn't change anything. Personally, I would have waited until I had actually won before I decided I wanted him, but you always did like to gamble."

Sae shivered. Kinoka was right. Once she won the Sato case, she would be more than an attorney who had won a rare victory in open court. She would be a miracle worker, a legend. And legends had always been able to do as they pleased. "I have to go."

Akira was waiting for her just inside, clutching his champagne glass in a death grip. "Everything okay?"

"Fine. I owe Kinoka a drink when this is over." Pure giddy possibility washed over her and she laughed. "Have dinner with me. Or no, wait. Dinner's too much pressure. Coffee?"

"What?"

"I mean, if you still want to. I won't be able to give you the luxury suites or anything, and I'm still a workaholic." She told him what Kinoka had said. "All we have to to do is win the case, and we could already have the smoking gun."

He smiled that wonderful smile that was like lightning. "Stealing a happy ending. I told you I was the best thief in the business."

And then the lights went out.

Akira swore. "Don't they have a backup generator or something? Hold on, there's an emergency light on my phone. Which isn't working."

The giddy relief was gone in an instant. Fear filled her. Think. She have to think. Mementos and the Dark Hour were gone. There was a perfectly rational explanation for all this. A sick prank, probably. Only… "Why is no one else saying anything?"

Heels clattered on the floor as a yellow glow filled the room. Sae gasped. The room was filled with coffins where people had been standing a few minutes earlier. "Not identical to what it was before, but I think he did an admirable job," said a familiar voice.

No. No! She had won. She had won!

Leviathan smiled. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?"